Virtual Universe Grid Region Splitting via Avatar Extraction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current virtual world systems lack the ability to seamlessly interact with each other, leading to isolated 'islands' of virtual universes, which poses challenges when users want to split or merge virtual universes across different service providers, such as during corporate restructuring or performance optimization.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that allow administrators to select regions or avatars within a virtual universe grid, lock their data, and transfer them to a new grid, enabling the creation of separate virtual universes while maintaining user accounts and resources, allowing for the splitting and merging of virtual worlds without service disruption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If virtual world systems are kept as isolated single-universe grids, then system simplicity and operational ease are maintained, but the ability to accommodate corporate restructuring and performance optimization is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to accommodate corporate restructuringVSAvoidvirtual universe grid structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides a single virtual universe grid into multiple separate virtual universes by selecting regions or avatars for extraction. This segmentation allows different portions of the virtual world to be independently managed and optimized, enabling corporate restructuring and performance optimization while maintaining the overall system architecture's simplicity through automated extraction processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If virtual universes are split into separate grids, then adaptability for corporate restructuring improves, but the complexity of data transfer and resource management increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to split virtual universesVSAvoiddata transfer process

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts selected regions or avatars from the source virtual universe grid and transfers them to a destination grid. This extraction process isolates specific data and resources that need to be separated, enabling virtual universe splitting while managing complexity through targeted extraction rather than complete system replication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs a virtual universe extraction tool as an intermediary between the source and destination grids. This intermediary automates the data transfer process, managing the complexity of resource management by providing a standardized interface for extracting and transferring virtual world data without requiring direct manual intervention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If complete virtual universes are copied and transferred, then user experience continuity is maintained, but the time and resources required for migration increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser experience continuityVSAvoidmigration time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of copying entire virtual universes, the patent extracts only the specific regions or avatars that need to be transferred. This partial action approach maintains user experience continuity for the affected users while significantly reducing migration time and resource requirements compared to complete universe replication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary actions by selecting and preparing the virtual universe regions or avatars for extraction before actual migration. This includes identifying users, regions, or avatars that meet specific criteria and preparing their data for transfer, which streamlines the overall migration process and reduces total migration time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS8140982B2Method and system for splitting virtual universes into distinct entities

Publication Date: 2012.03.20 ACTIVISION PUBLISHING INC

AI summary

Systems and methods for allowing an administrator or program to select a region or set of avatars in a virtual universe grid for splitting into another, separate and distinct virtual universe grid. If a region is selected, all of the avatars and virtual universe resources associated with the region are locked, their data is retrieved, and another separate virtual universe grid is commanded to create and insert the avatars and resources in it. If avatars are selected, all of the resources, scripts, histories, and information regarding the selected avatars are retrieved, and the avatars are locked in the source universe. Then, another, separate virtual universe grid is commanded to create universe user identifiers for the avatars, and they are inserted into the separate VU grid. Cleanup includes deleting the region and/or avatars from the first (source) virtual universe grid.